Peasant Cantata

On this CD:

1. Cantata No. 207a, "Auf, schmetternde Töne," BWV 207a
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Stuttgart Bach Collegium, Ingeborg Danz, Stuttgart Gachinger Kantorei, Christine Schafer, Michael Volle, Stanford Olsen
Conducted by Helmuth Rilling

2. Cantata No. 212, "Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet," ("Peasant Cantata"), BWV 212
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Stuttgart Bach Collegium, Stuttgart Gachinger Kantorei, Thomas Quasthoff, Christine Schafer
Conducted by Helmuth Rilling

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Customer Reviews:

Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor.......2006-09-18

It is a pretty good collection, lots of music from Stravinsky's entire carreer, but one must keep in mind that Stravinsky was a brilliant composer, and not a commanding maestro. You will not necessarily be getting the best recordings of these works. For example, something like the Boulez/Cleveland Rite of Spring is far superior to those in this collection. He is a vastly better conductor, and is much more capable of making the orchestra perform Stravinsky's intentions than Stravinsky is. All in all, however, I am more than glad I own this set.

Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need!.......2006-05-20

While I had heard some Stravinsky compositions prior to my purchase, this was the first (and only) Stravinsky material I have ever owned. As a young music enthusiast, the draw to me was to hear these pieces as Stravinsky conducted them and to get so many of them at such a great price, not to have the original jackets for the purpose of reminiscing. So, as someone who needed a good jump start into the works of Stravinsky (by Stravinsky), this set has proven totally invaluable. And while more information could have been packed onto these cds, I do appreciate how closely these discs have stuck to the original releases. I don't know about the portion of Petroushka which some reviewers claim is missing (as I don't know any other version), but I was totally blown away at hearing this version of Petroushka anyhow. In all, for whatever faults some sticklers may find here or there with this set, the value of this material collected in such a way (and at such a price) by far outweighs any possible faults.

Magnificent!.......2006-03-02

A great collection. There is simply no substitute for hearing Stravinsky as the great composer wanted to have his music played. Here is so much and also so varied a collection. I have been enjoying this set a great deal. One of the 20th century's greatest composers conducting his own compositions.

Where's my Petrushka?.......2003-08-01

The main reason I bought this box is because I was introduced to Stravinsky's Petrushka in the spring of 2003, and I loved it.
Along with Rite of Spring I think it's the most brilliant music Mr. Stravinsky ever wrote...so, I've been listening to the 34-minute long 1960 CSO recording of it at least once a day since I first heard it, naturally sort of memorizing it, but it didn't fit when I made this CD spin. The recording of Petrushka in this box is the VERY SAME RECORDING (1960) that I'd listened to, but it's cut to a suite! It's only 24 minutes long. You can tell it's obviously cut at certain points if you're familiar with the uncut version. 10 WHOLE MINUTES ARE MISSING FROM "PETRUSHKA!" I was (and still am) very disappointed by this.
Familiarizing myself with the rest of the discs was very fulfilling, though; I love the Ebony Concerto with the Columbia Jazz Combo featuring Benny Goodman...but the "suite-cut" of Petrushka made me paranoid...I can't be sure if anything else is edited or not...
There are 75 pages of notes in the booklet about the recordings but only 1/3 is in English.
The special multimedia feature disc is nothing much. With awful graphics it features the same notes as in the booklet, and there are lyrics for those who want to use the box for karaoke.
These 400 minutes of music (an average of 45 minutes per disc) could fit on only 5 CD's instead of 9, but it seems that this collection is made for nostaligs who will love watching and touching these tiny LP-jackets - after all, it is called the "Original Jacket Collection."
Incidentally, all of Stravinsky's recorded work which he conducted himself is not in this box. It is not at all complete; aside from the missing part of "Petrushka," his own reading of "Symphony in Three Movements" is missing (but available on CBS.)
Hats off to the man himself anyway. The music is brilliant, and considering that these recordings are 40+ years old, the sound quality is very good. Excellent stereophony on Rite of Spring!
It's a good thing that his music is still available and that people are offering refurbished products thereof. But if you love Petrushka like I do...buy the real thing...this just might disappoint you...
The 3 stars is a compromise of the music and the package; (5 stars for the music & its quality - 1 star for the package, choice of discs and--considering the price--somewhat weak linear notes.)

legendary.......2002-06-30

This 9 cd set is an historical one...more than half of Stravinsky's works are collected in this set. i clearly can say that there isn't any better recording for Stravinsky's works. especcialy first released USA's national anthem and a 12 tone work "Fanfare for two Trumpets" are remarkable.and we can also mention that some noises during the recording procces (i.e: Stravinsky's turning the page of the partition) gives a different taste to the listener. This is a real golden box of music.

Bach: Coffee Cantata, BWV 211; Peasant Cantata, BWV 212

Average customer rating:

Bach: Coffee Cantata, BWV 211; Peasant Cantata, BWV 212

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Bach: The Coffee Cantata
Mozart: Don Giovanni
A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)

ASIN: B0000013VG
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Coffee Cantanta, BWV 211 (Schweigt Stille, Plaudert Nicht)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)
Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 (Mer Hahn En Neue Oberkeet)

Average customer rating:

Listen,Learn, & Grow: Playtime
Grandkids love it!

Listen, Learn, & Grow: Playtime

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Listen, Learn and Grow Lullabies
Listen, Learn and Grow
Classical Music for Children: A Toddler's Introduction to Classical Music
Children's Favorites

ASIN: B00005LMZT
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
The Four Seasons: Autumn: Allegro
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral': Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Symphony No.41 'Jupiter': Menuetto Allegro
Fair At Sorochintsy: Gopak
La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours
Carnival Of The Animals: Aquarium
La Mer: Play Of The Waves
Humoresque
Sheep May Safely Graze
Masques Et Bergamasques: Ouverture
The Gadfly: Barrel-Organ Waltz
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Fugue
Symphony No.104 'London': Allegro Finale

Tracks:

Orpheus In The Underworld: Can-Can
William Tell: Overture
Four Overtures: Rakoczy March
Perpetual Motion: A Musical Joke
Pizzicato Polka
Minute Waltz
Concerto For Two Horns: Vivace
Pomp And Circumstance
Parade Of The Sandwich Board Men
Thunderbird Suite: Wolf Song
Indian Scenes: On The Jocko
Lieutenant Kije
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
Radetzky March
The Tale Of The Tsar Sultan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Walkyries
The Bartered Bride: Dance Of The Comedians

Tracks:

Gayane: Sabre Dance
Carmen Suite: March Of The Toreadors
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 In D Minor (Excerpt)
Suite No.2: Badinerie
Fireworks Music: Allegro Finale
Children's Corner Suite: Golliwog's Cake Walk
Parade Of The Tin Soldiers
Carnival Of The Animals: Fossils
Sleeping Beauty: Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Giselle: Allegro
Giselle: Gallop
Peter And The Wolf: Peter In The Meadow/The Bird
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chickens
Masquerade: Gallop
Sylvia: Pizzicato
Italian Polka
The Red Poppy: Russian Sailor's Dance
Shepherd's Hey
Emperor Waltz
Peer Gynt: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
A Night In The Tropics: Festa Criolla
Hungarian Dance No.5

Customer Reviews:

Listen,Learn, & Grow: Playtime.......2007-05-14

The music is excellent, with high quality sound. Not irritating as some classical music can be. Plus the tempo's are varied which is great depending if you need something fast paced or more slow. Best of all, the kids enjoyed it!

Grandkids love it!.......2007-01-03

How to gently insert a little culture into the grandkids' lives without Mom freaking out.....send this set of CDs for Christmas. Dad's into heavy metal and Mom, although she has a long history of listening to Classical music as a child, is now into Country. Nothing wrong with that, but how are the three little ones going to hear any of the Classics with Grandma living more than 600 miles away? "Play this in the background while they're having creative time," said I, "and see if they don't enjoy it." When I talked with them a week later the 4 year old couldn't wait to tell me how much he liked the "playtime music" I'd sent him. The quality of the recording is good and the variety of rhythms and tempos make it interesting. Yes they're a little trite and you're going to have to explain that the theme to "the Bad News Bears" really is Classical, but that's okay. If they skipped the genius of Mozart as an infant, or even if they teethed to "the Magic Flute", these CDs will give them a taste of a variety of good music and who knows how far into the Classical realm it may send them as they mature?

Dances From Renaissance Baroque & Rococo

Average customer rating:

Historically accurate down to the last note!

Dances From Renaissance Baroque & Rococo
Kurzweyl , and Ensemble Buon Tempo
Manufacturer: Hanssler Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Italian Renaissance Dances
Panorama: Dances of the Renaissance
Two Renaissance Dance Bands; Monteverdi's Contemporaries

ASIN: B0000649MN
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Tracks:

Daphne JohnPlayford (1623-1686)
Tourdion Pierre Attaingnant(1494"1552)
Les Bouffons Jean d.Estree (gest. 1576)
Confesse John Playford (1623-1686)
Les Manches Vertes Raoul-Auger Feuillet (ca. 1660 -ca.J710)
Drive the cold winter away John Playford (1623-1686)
Newcastle John Playford (1623-1686)
Adsons Sarahand John PlaYford (1623-1686)
La Bonne Amitie Raoul-Auger Feuillet (ca. 1660-ca. 1710)
La Savoye Louis pecour (1653 -ca. 1729)
La Forlana Louis pecour (1653 -ca. 1729)
Bouree de Basque Raoul-Auger Feuillet (ca. 1660 -ca. 1710)
L 'Allemande Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Menuet a deux Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
La Jalousie Raoul-Auger Feuillet (ca. 1660 -ca. 1710)
An Ecchoe Boree & Minuet Mr. Groscort in Edmund Pemberton (1711)
Silherne Tropfen Giovanni Battista Bononcini (1670-ca.1750)
Gib Schjjne. viel Sjjhne Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Menuet d'Espagne Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
La Merveilleuse D. Aubat St. Flour (1757)
La Prudente D' Aubat St. Flour (1757)
Daphne John Playford (1623-1686)

Album Description

Dancing their way across Europe since 1994, Ensemble Buon tempo have established themselves as both, a top-notch Early Music ensemble and masters of authentic interpretation of dance music from the Renaissance to the Rococo. Working in close cooperation with the Ensemble Historischer Tanz Berlin, Ensemble Buon tempo provide an authenticity and verve rarely found in other period instrument performances: this is toe-tapping stuff! So dust off the old codpiece and frilled collar and be prepared to cut a rug!

Customer Reviews:

Historically accurate down to the last note!.......2003-05-13

As a historical dancer I am always on the lookout for recordings that are truly authentic in thier sound, tempo, presentation, etc. This CD certainly has it all! It is one of the few I have seen that offer the music for several of Feuillet's notated dances. This is a must for anyone interested in the recreation of historical dance.

Average customer rating:

Encore! Les Violons du Roy

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DMV3
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

Chacony in g, Z.730
Con, Op.8 No.6: Grave-Vivace
Con, Op.8 No.6: Largo
Con, Op.8 No.6: Vivace
Con Pastorale in F: Passacaglia
Stabat Mater: Quis Est Homo - Dorothea Roschmann/Catherine Robbin
Stabat Mater: Vidit Suum Dulcem Natum - Dorothea Roschmann/Catherine Robbin
Stabat Mater: Inflammatus - Dorothea Roschmann/Catherine Robbin
Stabat Mater: Eja Mater - Dorothea Roschmann/Catherine Robbin
Con Ripieno in g, RV 182: Allegro
Con in a, Op.3 No.8: Allegro - Nicole Trotier/Julie Triquet
Coffee Cant, BWV 211. Aria: Heute Noch, Lieber Vater, Tut Es Doch - Dorothea Roschmann/Kevin McMillan
Peasant Cant, BWV 212: Sinf
Wedding Cant 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten,' BWV 202. Aria: 'Sich Uben Im Lieben' - Dorothea Roschmann/Philippe Magnan
'O Holder Tag, Erwunschte Zeit,' BWV 210. Aria: 'Seid Begluckt, Edle Beide' - Dorothea Roschmann
Sym in g, Op.6 No.6: Allegro
Sinf in d: Andante Amoroso
Sym in E flat, Wq179: Presto
Orchestral Ste No.3 in D, BWV 1069: Air ('Air On The G String')

Average customer rating:

Well done and interesting
Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music

Life & Works of Bach
Bach , Siepmann , and Shrapnel
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
Life & Works
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin
The Life and Works of Joseph Haydn
The Life and Works of Franz Schubert

ASIN: B0000666A8
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Family Background And Early Years
Music: Capriccio On The Departure Of His Beloved Brother
Bach And The Organ
Music Toccata And Fugue In D Minow, BWV 565
Bach In Trouble
Music: Trio Sonata In E Flat, BWV 525
Bach The Husband And Father
Music: Vivaldi/Bach: Concerto In A Minor For Four Harpsichords
Bach The Younger Composer
Music: Prelude And Fugue In A Minor, BWV 543
Bach In Weimar (And In Jail)
Music: Prelude In E Flat Minor (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1)
Bach Leaves Weimar
Music: Violin Concerto In E Major (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach At Cothen
Music: Concerto For Two Violins (Largo Ma Non Tanto)
Bach And The Brandenburgs
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D (First Movement)
From Grief To Joy Through Faith
Music: 'Et Resurrexit' (B Minor Mass)
New Beginnings: Bach Remarries And His Family Grows
Music: Aria In G
Goldberg Variations And Anna Magdalena's Notebook
Music: Stolzel: Bist Du Bei Mir
Domestic Happiness And The Move To Leipzig
Music: Magnificat
Bach's Duties At Lepzig
Music: Cantata No. 80 (Duetto)
Bach The Teacher
Music: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) In E Flat
The Great Keyboard Works On Educational Agenda
Music: Italien Concerto
A Letter To The King
Music: Cantata No. 147 (Opening Chorus)

Tracks:

Bach Takes Up The Poet's Pen
Music: Partita No. 1 In B Flat BWV 825 (Courante)
Bach's Frustration At Leipzig
Music: Singet Dem Herrn, BWV 225
Frustrations Intensify
Music: St John Passion (Opening Chorus)
Bach's Efforts To Leave Leipzig
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (First Movement)
The King Of Poland's Jubilee
Music: Suite No. 3 In D, BWV 1068
The Ernesti Affair
Music: Prelude In D Major, BWV 532
Adolf Scheibe's Scathing Views On Bach
Music: Concerto In C For Three Harpsichords (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach And Opera
'Coffee' Cantata (Excerpts)
'Peasant' Cantata (Excerpts)
The Twilight Years
Music: The Art Of Fugue
Bach's Visit To Frederick The Great
Music: The Musical Offering
Decline And Death
Music: Mass In B Minor

Customer Reviews:

Well done and interesting.......2005-02-22

This recording alternates extended selections of Bach's music (complete pieces or movements) with a narrated and sometimes dramatized biography of Bach. The music selections are excellent and the biography itself is well done and interesting. The lengthy accompanying booklet is also very nice.

My only reservation comes from a feeling that the music and the narration are not as well integrated as they could be. The narrator identifies the musical selections and may give a sentence or two of background for the selection but never really discusses it. Instead, the narration is focused almost entirely on the events of Bach's life. I would have preferred more of a "music appreciation" approach that discussed the music, and had trouble getting used to the bifurcated nature of production. The extended free-standing music selections do mean that the four discs are a sort of "best of Bach" anthology and you can re-listen to just the music by skipping every other track.

Naxos also produces a 2-disc set called An Introduction to Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 (ASIN: B0000666A9), also by Mr. Seipmann, which closely analyzes the actual music of these two concertos. I found that the two sets are complementary with no overlap, except for part of the booklets, and I would recommend getting both if you have an interest in Bach and are also interested in understanding what to listen for in his music. In addition (or as an alternative), I would also recommend the lectures by Robert Greenberg on "Bach and the High Baroque" produced by the Teaching Company, which are much longer, more detailed, and more focused on the "music appreciation" aspect. They are also much more expensive.

Overall, this item is very worthwhile and a good value, like most of Naxos's products.

Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music.......2002-08-21

Naxos continues to do a wonderful job with its "Life and Works" series. Quite some time ago, we had a Life/Works of Mozart, one of Chopin and then two more, Liszt and Beethoven. he latter are even better packaged than are the earlier sets, with a thick booklet that offers us essays on the historical background, the position of the composer in his time, a look at the major works, a listening plan, recommended readings, personalities, a calendar of the artist's life, a glossary, and a discography. This booklet is worth the price of the set alone.

Now we have two more entries in this amazing series, again written and narrated by Jeremy Siepmann: "Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky" (8.558036-39) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 5 min. and "Johann Sebastian Bach" (8.558051-54) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 34 minutes. (Please see my comments for the Tchaikovsky on that webpage.)

In direct contrast to the tortured personality of Tchaikovsky, we have the life-loving J.S. Bach, he who lost his temper only when he ran up against ineptitude. Again, the biographical details are fascinating. But also again, the musical examples are far too few--especially for this prolific composer--and some are simply far too long. We do not really need a complete rendition of the famous "Toccata and Fugue" and certainly not of the "Prelude and Fugue in A minor" to which is devoted a 13 minute track.

Tracks:

Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Recit: Durchlauchster Leopold
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Aria: Guldner Sonnen frohe Stunden
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Aria: Leopolds Vortrefflichkeiten
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Aria: Unter seinem Purpursaum
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Recit: Durchlauchtigster, den Anhalt Vater nennt
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Aria: So schau dies holden Tages Licht
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Aria: Dein Name gleich der Sonnen geh
Serenata: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a: Chorus: Nimm auch, grosser Furst, uns auf
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Recit: Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Aria: Hat man nicht mit seinen Kindern
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Recit: Du boses Kind, du loses Madchen
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Aria: Ei! wie schmeckt der Coffee susse
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Recit: Wenn du mir nicht den Coffee lasst
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Aria: Madchen, die von harten Sinnen
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Recit: Nun folge, was dein Vater spricht!
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Aria: Heute noch, lieber Vater, tut es doch
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Recit: Nun geht und sucht der alte Schlendrian
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (Coffee Cantata): Chorus: Die Katze lasst das Mausen nicht
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Sinfonia
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria (duetto): Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Nu, Mieke, gib dein Guschel immer her!
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Ach, es schmeckt doch gar zu gut
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Der Herr ist gut
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Ach, Herr Schosser, geht nicht gar zu schlimm
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Es bleibt dabei
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Unser trefflicher lieber Kammerherr
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Er hilft uns allen, alt und jung
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Das ist galant
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Und unsre gnadge Frau
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Funfzig Taler bares Geld
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Im Ernst ein Wort!
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Klein-Zschocher musse
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Das ist zu klug fur dich
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria col Corne de Chasse: Es nehme zehntausend Dukaten
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Das klingt zu liederlich
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Gib, Schone
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Du hast wohl recht
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Dein Wachstum sei feste
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Und damit sei es auch genung
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Aria: Und dass ihrs alle wisst
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Recit: Mein Schatz! erraten!
Cantate burlesque: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212: Chor: Wir gehn nun, wo der Tudelsack

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Top 20 Greatest Classics

Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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25 Thunderous Classics

ASIN: B00003XAED
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Tracks:

Cannon in D
Trumpet Voluntary
Four Seasons (First Movement): Spring
Suite for Orchestra No. 3: Air on the G String
Water Music: Alegro Deciso
Minuet
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: 1st Movement
Symphony No. 5 (First Movement)
Moment Musical No. 3
Black Key Study [Etude Op. 10, No. 5]
Album for Youth: The Merry Peasant
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III
Radetzky March
Carnival of the Animals: The Swan
Nutcracker March
New World: Symphony No. 9 [Exc. From 1st Movement]
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: In the Hall of the Mountain King
Prelude in C-Sharp Minor
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
Sabre Dance

Mussorgsky: The Lad's Dream/Three Symphonic Choruses/Pictures at an Exhibition

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Mussorgsky: The Lad's Dream/Three Symphonic Choruses/Pictures at an Exhibition
Modest Mussorgsky , Ludmila Kuznetsova , Russian State Symphony Orchestra , and Valery Polyansky
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000B07
Release Date: 1997-06-17

Tracks: